Speed-changing mechanism.



C. W. HOTTMANN.

SPEED CHANGING MBCHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1912.

1,113,635. Patented 0615.13, 1914.

E' l, w

in the city `ment and organization STATES PATENT oFFICE.

sramcmnoma MEGHANI'SM.'

. Application med August 6,

To all whom it may concern: Be itknown -that I, CHAiLEsW'. Horr- MANN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, having4 resided in the United States one year last past and having declared my intention of becoming a citizen thereof, residin and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Speed-Changing Mechanism, of whichV the following is a speciication.

y present invention in generic scope consists of changing mechanism wherein the power is transmitted from the driving to the driven member through the medium of a fluid of any desired nature. Y It further consists of a novel speedchanging mechanism havinga fluid connection .between the driving and driven member and novel means for varying the compressionof thetluid between `such members to vary their relative speed of'rotation.

It further consists of a novel construction of speed changing mechanism of the character described in which I have eliminatedthe necessity of employing valves or complicated mechanisms to control the introduction of Huid into the fluid chamber. l It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as ,will be hereinafter fully set forth. For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings those forms which are at present preferred by me, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to beA understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized'and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangeof these instrumenand described. a sectional elevation of a speed changingr my invention. Fig.

talities as herein shown Figure l represents on line :v of Fig. 2 mechanism embodying 2 represents a sectional elevationof my device. Fig. 3 represents a sectional elevation cfa portion of my device showing certain parts in a differentrelation from-that -'Seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a sectionalelevation showing the parts in the osition they assume when the plunger is in t e posiitsv broad and a novel speed gf t1on seen in Fig. 3. Flg. 5 represents a sec` tional-view of a portion of my devlceshow- Specification of Letters Patent. y Patented Oct, 13, 1914.

i912. serialigqnan?. Y. 4i

ling certain parts in afdiferfetposition from that seen in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig'. l6 represents an end elevation ofanother embodiment .of my invention certain parts `Similar numerals of. reference-indicate corresponding'parts in the figures. eferrlng to the drawings, 1. designates parent that the outer periphery "3 may be in the form of a gear, sprocket wheel, or equivalent device. The loosely moiuntedl on the driving member l and is provided with a removable end 4 secured thereto in any desired manner and, in the present instance, -by means of` fastening devices 5. c

' designates a stuingbox of any desired type carried by the vent any leakage of Huid betweenthe riving and driven member at such point. In tie present instance I have'shown a longitudinally adjustable adjusting member 9 which, in the present instance, consists of a rod or plunger number of wed es such as for example 10 and 11 thereby orming shoulders l2 and 13.

having been re-l moved for the sake of clearnessof illustra-- drlvenl member 2 is` provided with a desired driven'member 2 to re- The end ofthe adjustlng member 9' extends A through a lstulingbox 14' provided witha collar 15 to which is operatively connected an actuating lever 16 which is ivotedfin the Support 7 and is provided Wit a manually adjustable locking pin 17 which engages with the rack 18 in order to lock the lever 16 in the adjusted position given thereto it belng understood that any desiredm'eansmay be employed for causlng"thelongitudinal adjustment of the member 9, the device hown being simply a conventional manner f accomplishing thisresult,-

19 designates an annulus or collar fixed on the driving member 1 and having at its outer periphery -a fla-nge 2O whereby a desired number of annular chambers such. Aasf -21 and 22 are formed between the outer periphery of the annulus 19 and the inner face Aso of the"`driven member 2, 'as will be'clearly' a pawrentfrom Eig. 1. The outer wall of t e'annulus 19 is-apertulredas indicated at` 23 in order that 4a plunger '24 may extend therethrough and into the annular chamber.

formed between such annulus and the driven member 2. The stem of the member 24 extends through thehub 25 ofthe annulus 19' which is apertured for this purpose and also through a shaft 1 as will be understood' by reference to thel figures of the drawings.

26 designates a pin extending through the stem of theplunger 24a-and owing to the provision of aA spring 27 said pin 26 is always maintained inengagement with one ofthe wedges on the adJusting member 9. In the I presentinstance, the driving shaft 1 is slotted or apertured, as indicated at 28, in order that the pin 26 may-pass therethrough when the device is being assembled, it being understood that the4 hub 25 is also apertured, as indicated at 29 in order to permit the stem ofthe plunger 24: to pass therethrough. In the'embodiment seen in Figs. l-tov5'inclu sive, il have shown a lplurality of plungers,

the plunger 30 and its adjuncts corresponding iin-construction tothe plunger 24 already described and being provided with a pin 31 coperat/ing with the wedge 11 of the adjusting member 9. l

32 des1gnates cams or releasing members secured to the driven member 2 by means of fastening devices 33 and having their outer faces corresponding tov the inner periphery of the member 2 while the inner faces thereof aresubstantially straight and bear against the outer periphery of the an-` nulus 19 so as to b e in that path of the plungers, it being understood that one of these releasing members 32 is provided for each annular chamber, which closes such 'chamber at one point in its circumference,

the releasing member 34 which is located in the annular chamber 22 being indicated in dottedv lines ,in F ig. 1. ln Fig. V6 l have shown another embodiment of my invention in which three of these plungers are employed andl therefore three annular channels and three releasing members such as 35, 36 and 37, the members 36 and 37 -being indicated by dotted lines.

l have preferred to illustrate the plungers 24 and 30 as'being inalinement.

The operation of my novel speed changing mechanism will now be readily apparent to those skilled in this art. rlhe chamber 38v is filled with any desired fluid but preferably with afluid having lubricating qualities such as for example oil. `Since the web 39 is apertured, as indicated at 40, such fluid may freely pass therethrough it being understood that the annular chambers 21 and 22 are also lled with this duid and if any leakage. occurs in suchchambers the centrifugal force will cause them .to be refilled. 'Assuming that the plungers arein the position seen in Fig. 5 and that the driving shaft 1 is revolving,"the driven member 2 will remain stationary; 1f, however, the adjust- 'ing member v9 is moved outwardly, for ex- 'ample into the positions seenin Figs. 3 and 4 t ere willv be a compression of the fluid in the annular chambers 21 and 22 and the driven member 2 will be revolved, it being understood that as the plungers reach the releasing member 32 they will be moved inwardly against the tension of the springs provided therefor and as soon as they pass such members the springs will cause such plun ers :to automatically move outwardly, it being understood that a certain amount of the ,iluid may pass rearwardly between the end of such plungers and the outer wall of the annular chambers. Assuming now that the adjusting-member 9 has been moved into the position seen in Fig. 2,-the pins 26 and 31 will move upwardly on the wedges 10 and 11 respect-ively so that the driven member will be revolved at maximum speed. It will thus be apparent that by varying the position of the plungers any'desired ratio of speed between the driving'and driveny members' may be obtained. y

Since l employ a plurality of annular chambers arranged in different vertical planes and a plurality of plungers and releasing members, the latter being located at different points, there is no possibility of lost motion to any material degree undone or more of the operation. 4

Special attention is' directed to the lfact that in my present invention, I have entirely dispensed with the necessity ofemploying valves and controlling means therefor to control the admission or discharge or both admission and discharge of iiuid with respect to the annular chambers and I depend entirely upon centrifugal'action to .replace any loss of fluid from the annular chambers due to leakage between the moving parts. Attention is also directed to the fact that all of the plungers are actuated by a common-unitary member to simultaneously control the same so that all of these members will extend into their respective annular chambers a predetermined distance.

l have found in practice that by the use of my novel device the driven mechanism maybe gradually startedor stopped and that any desired ratio of movement between the same may be readily Aand quickly obf` tained. l

lt will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction of a speed changing mechanism which embodies plungers are always in\100 the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while l have, in the present instance, shown and described i a preferred embodiment thereofl `which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that-the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing fromthe spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what desire to secure by Letf completely closing the same and adapted to move a plunger out of its chamber.

In a speed changing mechanism, a driving member, a driven member forming therewith an annular fluid chamber, a plunger adapted to move into said chamber, yielding means for causing such movement of the plunger, means to completely close said chamber at one pointy and an actuator within the driving member and having slid-v ing engagement with said plunger to limit its movement into said chamber.

3. In a speed changing mechanism, a driving member, a driven member forming therewith an annular liuid chamber, a plunger adapted to move into said chamber, yielding means for causing such movement of the plunger, chamber at one point, an actuator within the driving member and having sliding engagement with said plunger to limit its movement into said chamber, and means for locking said actuator in the adjusted position given thereto. c j

4. In a speed changing mechanism, a driving shaft, an annulus ixedly carried by said driving shaft thereon, a driven member forming with the outer periphery of said annulus a plurality of annular fluid chambers, spring pressed plungers adapted to pass into said chambers and having their ends eX- tending into said driving shaft, an adjusting device within said driving shaft having means coacting with said plungers to adjust their position within said chambers, and a Vdevice within each chamber to cause a plunger to be moved out of said chamber during each revolution of said driving member.

5. In a speed changing mechanism, a driving shaft, an annulus thereon having a flange at its outer periphery, a driven member loosely mounted on. said driving shaft and forming with said annulus a plurality of annular fluidlchambers, a plurality of plungers,

means to completely close saidv -plurality of one for each chamber and adapted l to move thereinto, resilient means for causing such movement, a rod within said driving shaft and limiting the movement of said plungers, and a releasing device -for each chamber to completely close the same at one point and coacting with a plunger to move the latter out ofits chamber.

6. In a speed changing mechanism, a driving member including an annulus having a flange at its outer periphery, a driven memsaid driving shaft, inclosingsaid annulus to form a plurality of fluid chambers,` and adapted to drive other mechanism, plungersv carried by said annulus and adapted to move into said chambers, springs for causing such movement, an adjusting .device within said driving member for limiting the movement of said plungers into said chambers, and a- Wedge for each chamber and carried b said driven member and closing each cham er at one point in its circumference. 1

7. In a speed changing mechanism, a driving and a driven element forming therebetween an annular chamber of substantially uniform diameter, a member rotatable with one of said elements and completely closing said chamber at one point, a plunger carried bythe other element, adapted to automatically move into said chamber, and to be moved out of said chamber by said chamber closing member, and means within said driving element to adjust the stroke of said plunger.

8. In a speed changing mechanism, two rotatable elements forming therebetween an annular fluidchamber, a plunger mounted for radial movement into said chamber, means to automatically cause such movement, means to adjust the amount of such movement, a wedge rotatable with one of said elements and completely closing said chamber and coacting with said plunger to move it out of its chamber, a pin carried by said plunger, and means in sliding engage'- ment with said pin to effect the radial adjustment of said plunger.

9. In a speed changing mechanism, two rotatable elements forming therebetween an annular fluid chamber, one of said elements including a hollow shaft, a plunger mounted for radial movement into said means to automatically cause such movement, means within said h ollow shaft to adthe amount of such movement, means rotatable with one of said elements and completely closing said chamber and coacting with said plunger to move it out of its chamber, and a source of fluid supply inwardly of said annular chamber.

l0. In a speed changing mechanism, two rotatable elements forming therebetween a independent spaced annularv chambers arranged in different vertical planes, plungers one for each chamber and chamber,

75l ber comprising a caslng loosely mounted on Y mounted for 4movement thereinto, yielding means to simultaneously move sald plungers linto their respectivechambers, devices to close'eaeh chamber and to 4move a plunger out of its chamber as said plunger contacts with said devices, and means to vary the position of the plungers with respect to their chambers whereby the relative speed of rotation of said elements may be varied,- said last-named means comprising a dplunger having a pluralit of Wedge-shape faces thereon forming s oulders, and pins carried by said plungers and lin sliding engagement with said Wedge-shaped faces.

11. In a speed changing mechanism, two rotatable elements formingtherebetween a plurality of independent spaced annular chambers arranged in different vertical planes, plungers one for each chamber and mounted for movement thereinto, yielding 'means toI simultaneously move said plungersk xWith said devices, said devices in said chambers being out of alinement with each other,

means to `vary the position of the plungers With respect to their chambers whereby the relative speed of rotation of said elements :may be varied, said last-named means comprising a lplunger having a pluralit of Wedgeshaped faces thereon forming s oul- 'ders, and pins carried by said plungers and in sliding engagement with said wedge- CHARLESv W. HOTTMANN.

Witnesses H. S. FAmBANKs, C. D. MCVAY. 

